The Maiden with the Silver Claw
by Kagami Kyoji
Summary: Another fic on Allen as a girl. But, she's actually quite cool about it. Read on! Chapter 4 up.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own D.Gray-man, in any way.

Allen Walker sighed as she slumped beside her bed. She had made her first step towards fulfilling her promise to Mana. Trying to take her mind off such a serious matter, she sniggered as she wondered how the rest of the Order would react should they realise who she really was. After making sure that the door was locked tightly, she took off her shirt. Master had always joked that her chest was small; she only got an idea of how small they were when she saw Lenalee. She couldn't believe that the girl was just one year older than her. Then again, she had been raised as a boy for as long as she could remember...

Somehow, Mana treated her like a son. She didn't know why, but it served her well after she was picked up by her master. In fact, when she was much older, Cross told her that he, too, thought her to be a boy. He refused to say how he found out the truth, but Allen didn't mind. What she minded, was the things Cross taught her to observe, on top of his habits of womanising and pushing his debts to her. 'Firstly, never allow anyone to touch you there,' he had said, while pointing at her crotch. Again, he refused to elaborate further. Allen winced as she remembered how her master's companions tried to educate her on how to be more "lady-like". To be fair to Cross, the General did not approve of such stuff, but he had a practical problem: how do you explain personal hygiene matters which were uniquely female to a girl who thinks she's a boy? So, with her low gender awareness, she had fooled everyone who didn't know her well.

She looked at her Innocence arm. That guy named Kanda sure took her to be a man, after what he did. Then again, with no curves to speak of (unless one stared really hard), not to mention the fact that she was in men's garb, only a moron would think that she's a girl. Allen doubted that her identity would be exposed, unless she was the one who spoke of it. Maybe...

There was a knock on the door. Allen quickly put on her shirt and unlocked the door.

"Come in." It was Lenalee.

"So, how's everything so far," asked the girl as she stepped into the room. Allen smiled thinly.

"Apart from that scare at the beginning, I guess everything's fine," came the reply, as Lenalee sat on the bed.

"Good. Kanda's like that. So, try to ignore him if he gets on your nerves." Lenalee shrugged her shoulders, while Allen sat next to her.

"Is he so unfriendly even to you," asked Allen. In her mind, she expected that there would be differences as to how the samurai treated men and women.

"Well...he does try not to get physical with me when we argued. Trust me: he literally gives guys the proverbial kick in the groin if they rubbed him off the wrong way."

"Hmmm... I wonder what he'll say if I tell him I'm a girl?" Lenalee stared at the 'boy'.

"Allen, what did you say?"

"I guess you really didn't know then. Lenalee, I'm a girl." Despite the casualness of Allen's tone, Lenalee thought that she was able to faint.

"You... are a GIRL?" Lenalee resisted the urge to shout at the top of her voice. Allen casually (again) guided the lady's hand to her chest. Once Lenalee had felt it, there was no mistake. For good measure, she withdrew her hand quickly.

"Allen, why..."

"I was brought up like that. Master thought that it would be more convinent for me to go around as a boy." By now, Allen could guess what was Lenalee's second question.

"Oh, if you feel like telling others, you may do so. I'm really fine with it." Lenalee shook her head.

"No way! Truth be told, you're one of the few female Exorcists here. It's hard to stay sane with so many men around, especially my brother." The lady shook her head as she remembered THOSE times.

"I must warn you: I don't know what girls should be talking about." It has been a while since Allen have had any conversations on topics concerning women, and quite frankly, she had little stomach for them.

"Whatever. Your secret's safe with me, that's for sure. Well, I should leave you to your rest now. Kanda gave you a hard time just now." With that, she got up from the bed.

"Allen, could you do me a favour?"

"What is it?"

"Make sure you show these men how good we women can be as Exorcists."

"I'll try to keep that in mind. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight!" With that, Allen was again left alone in her room. Looking at her arm again, she knew that she would prove herself, if only because of Mana. She thought about Kanda, and Lenalee's warning. Looks like I'll have to be careful around him, she thought...

Afterthoughts

-Hope you guys enjoyed it. This takes place at the end of episode 3 in the anime. I would be following anime canon, for I feel some of the fillers were good.

-I wrote Allen as a girl who is not too worried about her gender issues, kinda like Haruhi from Ouran.


	2. Chapter 2

After her first mission with Kanda, Allen really wanted to have a good rest. She was drained, both physically and emotionally. Yet, in her train compartment, she could do nothing else except think.

"Looks like I still have a long way to go," mused Allen to herself, as she allowed Timcampi to rest on her finger. She then remembered Kanda's words. They stung her ears, but she had to admit that they had some truth in them. She looked at the Innocence which was recovered from Lala. Would this trip have been different if Kanda had found out that she was a girl? Most probably. "Bean sprout" was already bad enough, although he at least had the grace to translate it from his native Japanese (moyashi). Allen wondered what other names she would be called if the samurai knew her true gender; no doubt that most of them would be sexist in nature. Still, after all that mayhem, they retrieved the Innocence, without her revealing anything. She looked at the scenery outside. Her mind drifted back to Kanda, while Timcampi returned to its usual perch on her head.

Kanda seemd the polar opposite of her in terms of appearance. When she grabbed his hand back at the canteen, she was actually surprised at how smooth his complexion was. Complete strangers would have mistaken him to be a girl if they didn't see him fight, she thought. But, Kanda was tough, tougher than most men she've seen, except her own master of course. Looking back at herself, it was no wonder that she prefered to act like a boy. Which decent girl had snow-white hair at the age of 15, a cursed eye and a hand which looked as if it was decaying, asked Allen as she cradled Lala's Innocence in her palms.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when Toma knocked on the door. So, the train would be delayed after all, she thought. Little did she realise that she would be seeing a nightmare from her past very soon...

The Jean incident came and went, but Lenalee realised just how little she knew about her new comrade.

"Allen..." Lenalee didn't know if it was appropriate to ask her question.

"Lenalee, there are some things which you're better off not knowing." Allen resolved to keep her darkest secrets to herself. Even if others know about it, they could do nothing to help her. Even the welcome party, and Lenalee's help during the Komurin II attack earlier on, didn't change her mind.

Yet, with the Rewinding Town incident, Allen was put to the test yet again. This time, another person got to know of Allen's true identity, and it was not a friend.

"Oh, you're a ... girl," came the whisper. Normally, it's hard to surprise Road Kamelot. But, when she put her chest next to Allen's, she felt not only 'his' heartbeat but something else. She chuckled.

"It doesn't matter anyway. You're going to die, regardless." If Road had any doubts that Allen was a girl, they were dispelled when the candle lodged itself into her eye. She screams like a girl all right, thought the Noah. However, at the end of the day, she was a little sore that she was beaten by three women.

"Allen Walker, we'll play again someday. Then, I'll definitely dress you in a skirt." That was Road's promise to herself.

With Miranda's help, Komui Lee and backup from the Order came to the town. However, the head scientist got an unexpected request from the doctor attending to Allen.

"Supervisor, I think you should see this." Well, after he 'saw' the problem, Komui instructed the doctor to keep what he saw a secret. How long did she intend to hide her identity, wondered the head scientist. It's best to be around when she wakes up. Besides, that weapon of hers needs some serious repairing...

"Ah, you're awake." Komui had just assigned Lavi to stand guard at the door outside. He made sure that the redhead closed the door behind him.

"Komui..." After realising where she was, and hearing about Lenalee's injury, Allen was a little downcast. But, Komui's next question jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Allen, are you a girl?" She nodded. Komui sighed.

"If the doctor had not notified me, I would never have known about it."

"Komui, it's alright if you let the others..."

"I won't. Although Miranda Lotto will be joining us, I'm glad that there's already another girl around to keep Lenalee company..." Komui then realised the problem with his assumption.

"Allen, Lenalee knows of your identity, doesn't she?"

"The day I stepped into the Order." Komui smiled.

"That sister of mine... it must have been hard on her." Meanwhile, Allen's mind was on another lady.

"I wonder if Miranda..."

"I doubt so. She's so distraught that I'll be surprised if she noticed. Besides, your bust IS a little small." Komui knew that he had to make the joke. As always, Allen shrugged it off.

"If you're ready, I have someone whom you might want to meet." when Allen nodded her agreement, the supervisor raised his voice.

"Lavi! you can come in now!" As the redhead stepped into the room, Allen wondered about this Exorcist. He's... different.

"The name's Lavi. Nice to meet ya!" After the introduction, Lavi remembered something.

"Ah! There's a letter for you. Let's see... from a Miranda Lotto..."

After reading the letter, Allen then had her eye examined by the mysterious man who calls himself "Bookman". His crazy antics with Lavi did help her take her mind off matters, despite the grave situation they were in. The Noah Clan may be on the move, but the fact remained that until Lenalee recovers, she'll have to remain where she were. At least, Lavi was kind enough to invite her to a walk...

"Komui, I'm changing." Allen thought that was the least she could do. Getting the hint, the supervisor kindly asked Bookman to follow him out of the room. Putting two and two togther, the old man got the picture.

"So, the Destroyer of Time is a girl."

"You're pretty sharp, Mr. Bookman."

"Young miss, one must be sharp in order to become a Bookman, although I'm ashamed to say that it was only until your hint did I realise my mistake. That idiot apprentice of mine would never have guessed it in a million years."

For once, Bookman's prediction was wrong. Then again, Allen's feelings got the better of her. On his end, Lavi was wondering, "How the hell did a conversation about our ages, Yu and rumours of an upcoming battle end up like this?"

"I became an exorcist to destroy Akuma, not to kill humans!" Her outburst set the Bookman-to-be thinking... Lavi caught up with Allen, as 'he' tried to walk away. The redhead grabbed 'his' hand.

"Allen, you're a girl, aren't you?"

"So what if I am?" Her voice was overheard by the crowd around them. Some of them nearly had their jaws on the floor when they saw this exorcist refer to 'himself' as a girl. Even Lavi had to bite his lip to prevent his jaw from dropping to the floor.

"I don't understand: How can you and Kanda behave as if nothing has happened, even as people die around us?" The redhead looked at her straight in the eye. Somehow, he still couldn't believe that this 'boy' before him, was really a girl.

"Allen, we do feel pain. We're not robots, you know. We just... choose to hide it in our hearts."

"Is it shameful to grieve, for our comrades who died in the line of duty?" Now, Lavi had to look away. Even he couldn't answer that. Allen was still trying hard not to let her tears flow.

"Ah, perhaps Big Brother here would like to buy some flowers? Girls always stop crying if you give them flowers." It was a cute little girl, peddling her wares. However, Lavi was on his guard. He always was, around strangers.

"You might want to ask her yourself," said the redhead, even as he secretly reached for his mallet. The young girl then walked to Allen's side.

"Big Sister, they really smell nice." Before she knew it, Allen was staring down a gun barrel.

"Die, Exorcist," sneered the Akuma.

"Oh no, you don't! Shape-shifting Hammer, grow," cried Lavi. The enlarged hammer came smashing down on the monster, even as it left Allen unharmed.

"Allen, keep your wits with you!" As soon as he gave his warning, screams could be heard from the crowd. Another Akuma was on the roof of a building.

"Geez! Shape-shifting Hammer, grow, grow, grow!" The enormous mallet then came crashing down on the building. Allen forgot her tears as she stared in wonder.

"That hammer just destroyed a whole building?" She didn't notice that the Bookman-in-training had already landed, ready for his next stunt.

"Allen, I think we should get out of here! Come, grab on!" Lavi allowed his partner to hold on to the shaft.

"Shape-shifting Hammer, extend!" It wasn't too long before they found themselves in a clearing somewhere in the forests nearby. After some questions of her own about the hammer, Allen bowed her head.

"Lavi, how did you know?" The lad recalled his train of thought.

"Earlier in the day, while I walked down the corridor, the doctor and the supervisor passed by me. Out of curiousity, I followed them. They headed to your room, so I thought that something had happened to you. When the doctor left, he refused to tell me what was wrong, other than the fact that you're not dying. With your outburst just now, I had the slightest doubt about you being a guy. I didn't really think that you are a real girl."

"Oh..."

"And frankly, you scream like a girl, you know." Lavi confirmed his guess during their little flight to the clearing.

"My scream was always the one which gave me away," said the girl with a laugh. The redhead decided that it was time for serious business.

"What was wrong with you back there? As Exorcists, our job is to destroy Akuma. Why didn't you fight?" Allen mumbled her apology.

"You must have relied on that eye of yours too much for your own good. Until it heals, you'll have to see everyone around you as Akuma."

"Why? It's not as if all humans are Akuma!" This lass must have used her eye ever since she became an Exorcist, thought Lavi. He explained to Allen how it felt like to be vulnerable all the time, to think of strangers as either Akuma or the allies of the Earl, and what the Exorcists' coats were really meant for. Allen remembered how her master would smile everytime his coat attracted the Akumas' attention. Finally, she realised how difficult it was to be an Exorcist.

As they tried to find their way out of the forest, Lavi shared with her his fears: of how your closest friends today could become Akuma tomorrow. It was only then that Allen realised that her eye was not just a curse from Mana. It was also a gift from him, to help her in this cruel world, where normally one could never distinguish friend from foe until it's too late. Wait, what about the Noah... Allen didn't have time to think about it now. A group of townsmen were heading their way.

Lavi saw it right away: it was an ambush party for them. At least, this time, Allen was able to invoke her arm. But, she was on the defensive.

"Allen, if you don't want me to complain that girls sucked at combat, you've better start pulling your weight!" He had just dispatched an Akuma who was firing on her. Those words did the trick. Lavi wondered if this was how she fought when she was with Yu.

"Whoa! Thank you!" This time, it was Lavi who was caught off-guard.

At the end of it all, Lavi was impressed. Allen may be a girl, but from the way she destroyed that last Akuma, the older boy knew that she had sorted out her thoughts. As an unexpected bonus, her eye had actually healed. Then...

"It's snowing!" After a battle, playing with the white stuff sure sounded like fun, he thought. As he chased the first snowflakes, he took a look at Allen. He grinned.

"Allen!"

"What is it?" The girl was surprised to see Lavi by her side.

"Close your eyes," asked the lad cheekily.

"Why?"

"Don't ask. Just close your eyes." Allen then felt a pair of arms around her, and a gentle peck on her forehead. She opened her eyes in a hurry. Lavi was already letting go of her.

"What was that for," cried the girl indignantly.

"A hug and a little kiss from an elder brother to his little sister. That's what it is, bean sprout," teased Lavi. Seeing that Allen was still angry, the lad became serious again.

"Allen, remember this: We Bookmen do not have the luxury of having relationships. Our job forbid us to have any love. But, to take care of a younger sister: that is something which I'm still able to do. If you ever need any help, look for me."

"Lavi..."

"Oh, and I won't tell Yu about it. I can't wait to see his face when he finds out about you!" As Lavi laughed his heart out, Allen saw the funny side of the matter and joined in. It was a while before Lavi spoke.

"It's late. We should be heading back, little sis."

"I'm right behind you, big bro!" However, Allen chose to walk beside the lad. She reached for his hand.

"Lavi, thank you," came a soft whisper. The lad's reply, was a pat on her hand.

"That's what elder brothers are for, right?" The snow continued to fall, as they walked on. From today on, Allen knew that she would never have to walk alone again...

Afterthoughts

-Hope you guys liked it. The summaries for the Ghost of Mattell, Jean and Rewinding Town arcs are there to indicate that they exist in the story. Details don't differ much, since Allen's still a tomboy XD.

-Again, anime canon here.


	3. Chapter 3

If Allen needed any reminder that she's not alone in her fight, she received it the day she managed to visit Lenalee. From Komui, she knew that the girl had already regained consciousness. But, while she allowed Lavi, and everyone else, to see her, Allen was rejected with a curt "Go away!" whenever she opened her mouth outside the room.

"Now, what did you do this time, little sis?" Lavi knew that something was wrong when a non-Bookman was willing to spend hours just sitting next to him in a dusty corner of a library, watching as he copied manuscripts. Since Allen kept quiet all the time, Bookman didn't mind her presence. By now, the redhead had figured out that Allen kept everything to herself. That's not healthy, thought the lad, and he knew what he was talking about.

"...It's nothing." This time, Lavi put down his quilt. Bookman sat where he was, listening and watching.

"Gramps, could you leave us alone?" The request was answered by a kick to Lavi's head.

"Don't call me 'Gramps', greenhorn! I shall decide for myself when I should go!" Despite the scolding, Bookman shook his head gravely.

"You'll never be a Bookman, given your attachement to emotions." With that, he left the two youngsters alone.

"Lavi..."

"Don't mind him. He may be right, but the fact remains that I'm the best choice to succeed him, and he knows it," grinned the lad, despite the bump on his head.

"Now, what's this problem of yours?" Allen then narrated how Lenalee had slapped her. Lavi thought for a while.

"You should apologise, you know. Let me guess: You've never talked to her about your secrets, and you cut her off when she tried to ask, didn't ya?" Allen nodded repeatedly.

"You ARE a bean sprout, little sis. It doesn't take a Bookman to read your train of thoughts. You wanted to do everything by yourself, simply because you thought that you could. That hurts people's feelings." Lavi got up from the bench and stretched himself.

"Come, let's pay Lenalee a visit."

Outside the room, Lavi motioned Allen to be silent. He then gently knocked on the door.

"Who's that?"

"It's me, Lavi."

"Come in."

"Stay behind me," whispered the redhead.

When Lenalee saw who it was behind Lavi, the redhead swore that her stare was enough to kill him. However, he was the oldest among the trio, and he decided that the two juniors needed to thrash things out between them.

"Lenalee..." began Allen.

"Get out. Now." Lenalee didn't raise her voice at all. But, the bitterness of it cut deeply into Allen's heart.

"Allen, you know what to do," hissed Lavi. The girl made a deep bow.

"I'm sorry!" Lenalee got up from her bed. As Allen tried to lift her head, she pressed down hard on it with both hands.

"Don't raise your head. I have not forgiven you yet. Lavi, keep her like this for a while, will you?" The redhead sighed as he took over.

"Allen, you're selfish. Just because you're the only one who can see the souls of Akuma, you chose to shoulder the burden all by yourself, and fight by yourself. Aren't we friends? Or is friendship something which meant nothing to you?" Lenalee's voice threatened to break, even as she tried hard to keep her composure.

"Lenalee, I've given this bean sprout a piece of my mind during our walk together. I'm sure she understood how you felt." Lavi tried to defuse the tension that was building up in the room.

"And... thank you for saving me." Allen felt that it was the least she could do.

"I'll save you as many times as it takes!" With that, Lenalee sat down on her bed in a huff. Lavi released his hand.

"I think she has forgiven you, little sis." Turning his attention to the other girl, Lavi sat next to Lenalee.

"Lenalee, Allen may be a girl, but for all I know, she could be just a boy in a girl's body. You know how we guys tend to bottle everything up inside us. Give her some time. She'll get around to it, right, bean sprout?" Allen nodded vigourously in reply. Lenalee decided to let it go. Suddenly, she remembered what was wrong with this setting.

"Lavi, how did you find out that Allen's a girl?"

"Oh, that? Well, let's just say that she nearly gave all women Exorcists out there a bad name." Lenalee gave Allen a stare.

"What did you do this time?"

"She nearly had her head blown off by a level 1 Akuma," joked Lavi. As he recalled the walk, Allen wished that she could disappear under the bed.

"So, you see, she has learnt her lesson, to see how it was from our side of the fence. So, just forgive her, alright?" Lenalee gave a little pout.

"Who ever said anything about not forgiving her?" Lavi grinned.

"Lenalee, I promise you: If she ever does a one-man-show again, you'll kick her to me with your Dark Boots, and I'll sent her flying to the moon with my hammer! How's that?" Allen sweatdropped, even as Lenalee giggled.

"Yes, that will be an appropriate punishment for her." Jokes aside, Lavi turned serious again.

"The two of you, the Earl is not playing a fool this time. If we want to live to see our next birthdays, we better work as a team." His eyes remained on Allen. Her reply, was to stick out her Innocence arm.

"Friends."

"Comrades," added Lenalee as she placed her hand on top.

"Pals. That's what we are, as Exorcists," said Lavi, as he did the same. Among the younger Exorcists, he and Yu are the oldest. Lavi didn't know about his friend, but despite his past and identity as a future Bookman, he would do whatever it takes to protect the juniors...

Afterthoughts

-A Lavi-heavy chapter. Did I mention that I adore him?


	4. Chapter 4

Lenalee made a speedy recovery, and all members of the Order returned to headquarters. Although the Earl had sent out his warnings, the situation was still under control. However, Allen soon discovered that sometimes, one's greatest challenge may not be the enemy, but a friend instead...

It all began when she went for breakfast a little later than usual. She must have allowed her hunger to get the better of her, for she didn't notice the person who was in front of her in the queue. Kanda always went for his meals after most of the crowd had left the canteen. He didn't like to wait in queues, and he didn't want to see a certain bean sprout around, not after that incident with the Finder. As it turned out, today was going to be a bad day for both of them.

"The usual...," began Kanda, as he stated his order. Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands pushing him away. Before he knew it, the bean sprout was already rattling off a list of dishes for Jeryy. He reached for Mugen.

"Oi! Moyashi!" Allen took a look at Kanda. She must have thought that the samurai was someone else instead, for she completely failed to sense the murderous tone of his voice.

"Oh, and Kanda wants some bean sprouts." Wait a minute, thought Allen, as she realised the absurdity of her words. Kanda? Bean sprouts?

"Moyashi..." Kanda's patience was running thin.

"Kanda, since when did you add bean sprouts to your soba," came the innocent-sounding question. That did it. Kanda unsheathed Mugen and brought it down on Allen. Only her Innocence arm, now in its claw form, saved her from being sliced into two. Jeryy retreated from the counter, just in case.

"Baka moyashi!!!" Allen remembered "baka" alright. She was called that many times during their trip to Mateel. Kanda's breathing was heavy as he tried to calm down. Finally, he sheathed Mugen and glared at Jeryy.

"The usual soba noodles and tempura, and step on it!" As the cook hurried to prepare the order, Allen kept her distance from the samurai. For that matter, the canteen was now deserted...

As Allen carried her tray of food to her seat, Kanda was preparing to leave. And oh no, he's not going to let that bean sprout off so easily. As he walked past her, he gave an insidious hiss.

"The cemetery, after your meal." With that, he was off. Allen decided to go. After all, she owned the samurai an apology. Jeryy, who had the sense to observe the duo, reminded himself to notify Lenalee, should she show up at the canteen.

At the cemetery, Kanda stood and waited, oblivious to the tombstones around him. He knew that dead members of the Order were buried here, cremated and without the knowledge of their families. Usually, it was deserted, perfect for what he had in mind for the bean sprout...

"Kanda!" The samurai straightened up. The bean sprout was here.

"You came. I thought you wouldn't have the guts to."

"Don't look down on me, Kanda Yu." When it came to Kanda, it wouldn't take too much to piss Allen off.

"Let's not waste any more time. I'll have a duel with you, right here, right now." Allen was caught off-guard.

"You want a duel simply because of what happened just now?"

"Not just that. It's been a while since that time at Mateel. I'll like to see for myself just how far you've progressed. As you may know, the Earl is on the move. If you want to fulfil your promises, you must have the ability to beat me, at least." Allen took off her glove.

"Any rules," asked the girl.

"There'll be no time limit. We'll invocate our Innocences only to form our swords. If either of us uses any other Innocence-based skill, that guy will be the loser."

"That sounds fair enough. Anything else?"

"If I win, you'll disappear from the canteen whenever you see me there. No excuses." Allen bristled.

"And what if I win?"

"Dream on, bean sprout."

"What if?" Allen resolved to beat the samurai today, one way or another.

"Fine. State your condition." Allen thought for a while. On their trip back to the Order, Lavi said something about...

"If I win, you'll have to eat an order of dessert every time you have your meal in the canteen." Although Kanda tried hard not to show his disgust, Allen knew that it was the condition which would humiliate him the most.

"Deal." Kanda made a mental note to kill Lavi after the duel. He then unsheathed Mugen.

"Innocence, hatsudou!" Kanda glided his fingers along Mugen's blade.

"Innocence, activate!" The moment her blade was formed, Kanda charged. This is going to be one hell of a fight, thought Allen, as their blades clashed...

"Lenalee! You're here!" The young lady was surprised to see an anxious Jeryy at his counter. Her coffee rounds were over, at least for now.

"Jeryy, what's the problem?" The cook hurriedly explained the situation to her.

"And I saw Kanda whispering something to Allen before he left!" This was bad.

"Thank you, Jeryy!" Lenalee then hurried to the library. She was sure that Lavi would be there, put to work by Bookman...

Back at the battle grounds, Kanda steadied himself after a bout. He had to admit: the bean sprout was getting better. Still, there were already deep gashes on Allen's left leg and right arm. The girl was also panting. Kanda was emotionless, even as he had the slightest respect for the bean sprout.

"Just acknowledge that you've lost, bean sprout."

"I'm... not beaten yet," said Allen through gritted teeth. Kanda gave 'him' a stern gaze.

"Baka! Haven't you learnt your lesson back then? Know your own limits!" To emphasize his point, the samurai made another dash. Allen swung her blade to where she thought Kanda would be. Instead, Mugen left a bloody trail across her left abdomen. Allen let out a cry of pain...

At the library, Lavi looked up as footsteps came running towards Bookman.

"Bookman, I need Lavi for a while," requested the young lady in between breaths.

"Lenalee, what is it?"

"Kanda... and Allen... They had a big row at the canteen just now!" Lavi knew that Yu and his "little sis" didn't exactly like each other.

"Have you tried looking for them?" Lenalee shook her head.

"We'll split up. Use our golems to keep in contact." Lavi gave Bookman a look. The elderly man merely sighed, and motioned for him to go...

I can't take much more of this, thought Allen. With Kanda's speed and training, there was little she could do by using "Cross Blade" alone. Streaks of blood were already on the floor. Considering where they were, Allen was determined not to die. Those who laid in their eternal rest here were killed by the Earl and his minions. She could not die to a fellow Exorcist, not here.

At his end, Kanda wanted to stop already. Heck, he would even concede defeat if the bean sprout would just give up and receive treatment. But, that determination... Kanda knew that the bean sprout was stubborn, reckless. In a way, he could understand the feeling. In his native Japan, the code of Bushido, "the way of the warrior", was how samurai of the past lived and died. If the bean sprout's choice as a warrior was to continue fighting, he would oblige.

Allen staggered to her feet. The blood loss was making her dizzy. Pain shot through almost every part of her body. She wanted to give up. But no, she would fight on until she collapsed. She tried to stand up straight, but the pain made her keel over. Kanda had adjusted his slashes so that they would not cut as deeply as usual. But, as the number increased, the samurai knew that the bean sprout's life could be in danger. It's time to end this. If it dragged on any further... The samurai dashed behind Allen. As he slashed out with Mugen, the bean sprout caught it with "Cross Blade".

"How did you..." It was the first time during the duel that this had happened. While she could handle head-on attacks, Kanda's side and back slashes had always found their mark, until now.

"I... learnt... to read..." Even with such injuries, the bean sprout was fighting on. Unknown to them, Lenalee was already hovering near the area. The young lady then spotted Allen's snow-white hair as a little speck. It must be her, she thought.

"Lavi! I found them! They're in the cemetery!"

"Ok!" The redhead then positioned his hammer.

"Shape-shifting Hammer, extend!" Although there isn't a straight path to the graveyard from his current location, it was still the fastest way. He prayed that Yu hadn't done anything to Allen...

As Lenalee honed in on Allen, she realised that her friend was covered in red. Don't tell me...

"Stop!" Kanda lifted his head. By now, Allen had no strength left. After a soft landing, Lenalee gasped.

"Allen, are you alright?"

"I'm..." The girl fainted before she could complete her sentence. As Lenalee struggled to rest Allen on the floor, she gave Kanda a glare. The samurai was unmoved, as he sheathed Mugen.

"It was the bean sprout's own fault. He didn't know when to quit." Lenalee decided that her friend was more important. She began ripping out Allen's clothing for use as bandages. She was halfway through when Lavi came dropping in. After keeping his mallet, he stared at Allen's motionless body. He walked up to Yu, and gave him a hard punch.

"What was that for?"

"Yu, this time, you had gone too far." Kanda knew that when Lavi spoke with that tone, even he had better get out of the way. The samurai took a closer look at the bean sprout. That body... His eyes widened. By now, Allen was more or less covered in rags. Even for a girl who had no curves to speak of, someone with sharp eyes, like Kanda, would be called an idiot if he still hadn't noticed.

"Masaka..." Lavi nodded.

"Bean sprout-chan is a girl, Yu." It was Kanda's turn to stare at his friend.

"Lavi, I'll take her to Bookman. At least, Kanda here wouldn't get into trouble." When she mentioned Kanda's name, Lenalee resisted the urge to spit at him. She then activated her Dark Boots, and took Allen with her.

"Why are the two of you fighting," asked Lavi, while controlling his temper.

"I just want to test his...her skills. It's her own fault that she didn't know when to give up." The redhead gave a soft sigh. It seemed that his little sis overestimated herself today.

"Now that you know that she's a girl, go easy on her."

"Che. If she doesn't know her own limits, she deserves to die." Despite his harsh words, his expression did soften a little. He decided that he had enough for one day.

"Baka moyashi," cursed Kanda as he walked away. But, Lavi knew that his friend was sorry. He only used that tone when he felt that he had insulted himself, which actually was pretty often, although Kanda would rather die than admit it. Suddenly, Kanda stopped in his tracks. He remembered something.

"Lavi, when that moyashi wakes up, tell her that she could go to the canteen anytime she wishes." Now, what was that for, thought a puzzled Lavi...

At the library, Bookman had a little surprise when Lenalee carried a bloodied Allen to him, seeking his aid. Using his needles, he helped stopped the bleeding. With Allen's condition stabilised, Lenalee then remembered her anger at a certain samurai.

"That idiot Kanda... how could he do this to her?"

"Did you say that it's the wielder of Mugen - Kanda Yu - who injured Allen?" Lenalee nodded furiously.

"Allen's wounds are numerous, but not deep. Kanda must have controlled himself as he delivered his blows."

"Really," asked a shocked Lenalee. She didn't know that Kanda could be given the benefit of the doubt. Bookman returned his gaze to Allen, who was still asleep.

"She may have the body of a woman, but she also has the heart and stomach of a man."

"Which is why she will get herself killed," replied Lenalee. She really worried about her friend.

"I beg to differ, Miss Lena. She is the Destroyer of Time. With discipline and self-knowledge, she'll be the Earl's greatest enemy, and self-knowledge could not be taught. She'll have to find it herself." Bookman then thought for a while.

"She'll remain here until she heals. Let us hope that she'll not be assigned missions during this period." Lenalee nodded her agreement. If her brother got wind of this, all parties involved would have a lot to answer for...

The next morning, Lavi dragged his tired body to the canteen. As always, the old "panda" had set him to work through the night. Also, he had to check up on Allen once in a while. Although the injured shouldn't be resting in the library, what the heck, thought the redhead. As he yawned, he saw Yu, and his eyes widened. Was that...

"Yu!" Kanda sat up straight when he heard that. He was already down to his last few spoonfuls. Why did this redhead have to show up now?

"Is that.. what I think it is," asked the redhead in question, as he pointed at the sundae.

"Lavi, if Moyashi knows about this, I. will. kill. you," hissed Kanda.

"Yu, come on! You know that you like dessert. You just have trouble controlling yourself when you eat them." Kanda gritted his teeth. He quickly polished up the rest of the ice-cream, and rose from his seat.

"And let me guess: that was your... fifth one?" Lavi knew that he had better prepare himself for a run, for Yu reached for Mugen. But, today, he was in a better mood, because of the dessert (Again, he'll never admit it.).

"My second, for the record," came the cold reply. As Kanda walked off, Lavi's smile grew wider. He had a rough idea of who could be the one to induce this change, however small, in the samurai...

Afterthoughts

-There we go: Kanda the blockhead returns.


End file.
